Existing and lost censuses

Why use a census?

A well-indexed census is one of the easiest ways to locate where an ancestor's family lived and when they lived there. You can also use censuses to follow the changes in a family over time, and identify neighbors. These and other clues provided by censuses are important because they help find additional kinds of records about the family.

↑ 3.03.1HeritageQuest has arranged with many subscribing public libraries in the United States to allow users free access on home computers by means of their personal library card numbers. HeritageQuest provides images of all surviving 1790 to 1930 federal censuses, and indexes to many but not all of them.

↑ 4.04.1Fold3, formerly known as Footnote.com, a subscription site partnering with the National Archives and includes some federal censuses. Free access is available at many public libraries.

↑ 5.05.15.25.35.45.5Ancestry.com, a subscription site that provides online indexes and images to all surviving federal and many state census records, among other sources. They have three online editions: (1) an FHL edition free only at the Family History Library and a few Family History Centers, (2) a slightly smallerLibrary edition free only at some public libraries, and (3) a Home edition subscription service for individuals.

↑ 6.06.1Archives.com, a subscription site that provides online indexes and images to all surviving federal census records, among other sources.

↑ 7.07.1FamilyLink.com, a subscription site that provides online images (and some indexes) to all surviving federal and many state census records, among other sources.

↑ The 1850 federal census of Oregon Territory included the populated western regions of present-day Oregon and Washington.